Christianity: Beliefs and Teachings Flashcards
Define Omnipotence
All-Powerful
Define Omnibenevolence
All-Loving
Define Omniscience
All knowing
Define Transcendent
Beyond human concept/understanding
Define Cataphatic description
describing something the way it is
Define Apophatic description
describing something the way it isnt
Quotes saying God is omnipotent/transcendent
Noah’s Ark, Genesis: ‘Let there be light’ and ‘The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power’ - Job 37:23
Quotes saying God is loving/fair
from john and job
‘My father’s house has many rooms’ - John 14:2
‘in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress’- Job 37:23
What is the evidential problem of evil
Evil is so overbearing the value of any lessons learnt aren’t hence evil cant be the creation of a God with omniscient, omnibenevolent qualities
What is the logical problem of evil
How can an all-loving,all-powerful God allow suffering
What is the inconsistent triad
- If God is omnibenevolent he would want to remove evil and suffering
- If God is omniscient to would know how to remove evil and suffering
- If God is omnipotent he would be able to remove evil and suffering
Define evil and suffering
Evil - when a malicious action has a deep negative impact on someone’s life
Suffering- The state of undergoing pain or hardship
What are the 3 types of evil
- Natural Evil – suffering caused by natural disasters
- Moral Evil – suffering caused by humans
- Metaphysical Evil – suffering because we live, sickness, death
Define Theodicy
Argument which defends the probability of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God in the face of evil in the world
Summarise Iraneaus’ Theodicy
- Men created imago dei and have to develop to God’s likeness
- world was a ‘soul-making place’ and evil had divine purpose to make us better.
- Book of Job would support this
What is a quote that supports Iraneaus’ Theodicy
Genesis 1:27
So, God created man in his own image
Summarise Augustine’s Theodicy
- Augustine believed evil was not created by God and is a ‘priavtion of good’ and is a result of orignial sin
- As all humans are ‘seminally present in the loins of adam’
What is a Quote that supports Augustine’s Theodicy
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all men, because all sinned
Where are the origins of the devil
Found in the Apocrypha (hidden esoteric of questionable authenticity) as Lucifer was too proud to bow to humans so fell to earth
How is Satan mentioned in the Bible
Satan is only mentioned when he tempts Jesus for 40 days and Jesus recites bible verses to resist temptations
What quote implies Satan is leading people to commit sin
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
What is the Holy Trinity
It is Son ,Father and the Holy Spirit. 3 Aspects of One God
What quote supports the Holy Trinity
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ Second Commandment
‘Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ Matthew 28:19
What are the Characteristics of the Father
Creator, Loving, Transcendent, In heaven, Judge
What are the Characteristics of the Son
Fully Human and Fully God, God Incarnate, Immanent
What are the Characteristics of the Holy Spirit
God’s presence on earth, ‘Moved by the Holy Spirit’ feeling of god symbolised. Omnipresent, Eternal
What are the 3 different interpretations of the Bible
- Bible is the absolute truth
- Bible is divinely inspired so some parts are true some parts are not
- The Bible has a spiritual message and is trying to spread the message of God
What is the Big Bang Theory
that a singularity expanded to form everything
What is the evidence that supports the Big Bang Theory
Red shift – evidence of an ever-expanding universe so they’re must’ve been a singularity
Cosmic microwave background radiation- this energy was found everywhere, the energy came from the singularity
Describe Genesis 1
God creates the world in 6 days in the order of:
- Light, Sky, Land, Sun Moon Stars, marine and airbourne,Animals that live on land and humans
And then rested on the seventh day
Describe Genesis 2
Adam was made from the ‘dust of the ground’ when God breathed life into him
Eve was created out of one of Adam’s ribs to provide company and help for Adam
What are the 3 main points of both Genesis stories
- God made everything ex nihilo
- God made everything good
- God made humanity as the high point of creation
Difference of Genesis and Big Bang
- Order: in Genesis land and seas come before the sun
- Timeline: Genesis was in 7 days
- Purpose: Genesis was made by God
Similarities of Genesis with Big Bang
- There was a beginning
- The ‘Spirit of God hovering over the waves’ was maybe the singularity
- Spiritual reading shows that the message is that God is the creator
What was the Holy Spirits role in creation
‘The Spirit of God was hovering over the water.’ shows the eternal/omnipresent aspect of God
What was the Son’s role in creation (2 quotes from John)
‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made.’ John 1:1
- Scholars agree this refers to Jesus due to :
‘The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us’ John1:14
-This shows Jesus as Eternal
What are the key Christian beliefs about Jesus
- Jesus is the son of God and the Messiah
- He is fully god and fully human
- He was free of sin
- His death was atonement for original sin
- His ressurection +ascension shows an afterlife and he truly was the son of God
What is the annunciation
the angel Gabriel’s delivery of the news of her impeding pregnancy to the virgin Mary
Define Incarnation
a person who embodies in the flesh a deity spirit or quality
Why is Incarnation important to Christians
- Proves God is personal
- Understands pain
- Came to save us shows love
Who was Jesus sentenced to death by
Pontius Pilate
Why was Jesus wanted dead
Jews wanted him dead for Blasphemy and Romans wanted him dead for treason
Who betrayed jesus
Judas by kissing him for silver pieces
When was Jesus crucified
At the site of Golgotha on Good Friday
How long did Jesus suffer for
6 hours and called out ‘My God,My God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Mark 15:34)
What was the aftermath of Jesus’ Death
Temple Curtain ripped in two showing Jesus has opened a relationship with God to all people and atones
There was also darkness and earthquakes;’ saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”’ (Matthew 25:47)
Who asked for Jesus’ dead body to clean and put in a tomb
Joseph of Arimathea
Who went to anoint Jesus on Sunday
The female disciples inc. Mary Magdalene found his body to have disappeared and angels told them ‘he has risen,he is not here’ Matthew 28:6
Why is Resurrection/ascension important to Christians
Shows divinity of Jesus,shows how Good triumphs over evil by accepting Jesus. Acension shows Jesus is the way to God
Define Personal Judgement
Personal Judgement- when someone dies and goes either to heaven or hell
Define Collective Judgement
Judgement Day where all of humanity is judged
What parable shows judgement
parable of the sheep and the goats ‘he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.’ Matthew 25:32
What quote shows that jesus is the only way to heaven
‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except me’ John 14:
Define Heaven
Christians as eternally being able to experience the presence of God
What are different interpretations of Hell
eternally being away from God or real suffering due to sin ‘ye cursed into everlasting fire’ Matthew 25:41
What do Christians believe in
Purgatory where souls are punished for their sins in life
Define sin
action or thought that goes against God’s laws
why do all humans commit sin
original sin which causes humans to do wrong. Original sin was born from Adam and Eve eating from the tree of knowledge
Define Salvation
to be saved from sins and the consequences of it
What is salvation through works and faith
faith in God and obeying Gods Law leads to heaven
What is salvation through faith
salvation is given by God through faith in Jesus
Quote that supports salvation through faith
from Ephesians
‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… not by works, so that no one can boast.’ - Ephesians 2:8-9
What is Jesus role in salvation
Jesus’ death makes up for the original sin committed by adam and eve so people can be brought back to God. Known as ATONEMENT
Quote that shows atonement
• “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”- Peter 2:24
